Russia calls DPRK rocket launch obstacle to six-party talks

Wednesday's launch would "affect the general atmosphere in the
region and the efficiency of efforts to provide conditions for the
restart of the six-party negotiations," Grigory Logvinov, the
Foreign Ministry's special envoy, told the Interfax news agency.

Logvinov urged all parties to refrain from any actions that
could further aggravate the situation.

Logvinov said Moscow saw no alternative to the six-party talks
where Russia, China, the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, Japan and
the United States meet under the auspices of the U.N. Security
Council. The talks began in 2003 but stalled in December 2008.

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday condemned the rocket
launch announced by the DPRK, calling the move "a clear violation"
of relevant council resolutions.

The council said it would continue consultations on an
appropriate response in accordance with its responsibilities given
the urgency of the matter.

Under U.N. Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, the DPRK
is banned from launches using ballistic missile technology.

The DPRK's official KCNA news agency confirmed a Unha-3 rocket
carrying the second version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite
blasted off from the Sohae Space Center at 9:49 a.m. local time
(0049 GMT) on Wednesday.

The satellite entered its preset orbit 9 minutes and 27 seconds
after the lift-off, the KCNA said.

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